Australia's Department of Home Affairs announced a new fee on its website, doubling the cost to 4,600 AUD from the previous 2,300 AUD.

The temporary graduate visa (subclass 485) permits international students to remain and work for up to three years for university graduates and 18 months for vocational training graduates, with exceptions for UK and Hong Kong passport holders. Holders of this visa can also bring their families to live in Australia.

Eligibility criteria include having held a student visa within the last six months, being under 35 years old, and possessing a valid qualification from a Commonwealth-registered education provider for international students. Vocational training graduates must have a major on the skilled occupation list. Both groups also need to fulfill health and language requirements.

The Australian government has not yet disclosed the reasons for this adjustment.

A corner of the University of Melbourne campus, Australia. *Photo: The University of Melbourne Fanpage*

The sudden fee increase has caused significant concern among international students in Australia. On the online forum Reddit, many expressed surprise that authorities did not provide prior notice, unlike previous fee adjustments. Students generally perceive the new fee as both high and unexpected.

This fee hike is the latest in a series of policy changes by Australia over the past two years, aimed at tightening regulations for international students to control immigration numbers.

For instance, post-graduation work periods for international students were reduced from 4-6 years to 2-4 years. English language requirements also increased by 0.5 points to 6.0-6.5 IELTS, alongside higher financial proof requirements and student visa application fees.

Last year, the government capped international student enrollment at 270,000, a reduction of over 53,000 from the year before. This year, the cap has been raised to 295,000.

Khanh Linh